BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2661
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 13, 2010

                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
                                 Paul J. Cook, Chair
                 AB 2661 (Salas) - As Introduced:  February 19, 2010
           
          SUBJECT  :   California National Guard: mental health assessments:  
          combat troops.

           SUMMARY  :   This bill would require the California National Guard  
          to develop a comprehensive and ongoing mental health assessment  
          program for every California National Guard soldier who has been  
          deployed to a combat zone.   

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1.Provides certain protection and benefits for state military  
            personnel and their families.  

          2.Mandates the Secretary of the California Department of  
            Veterans Affairs, or his or her designees, shall assist any  
            eligible member or veteran who returns or has returned to this  
            state in obtaining a best practice health screening test for  
            exposure to depleted uranium.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown.

           COMMENTS  :   The Military Department (CMD) is a dual status  
          agency, with both federal and state responsibilities.  The  
          federal responsibility includes organizing, training, equipping,  
          and deploying National Guard units in support of the federal  
          mission, which, since 9-11, has resulted in continued  
          deployments of National Guard personnel within California, to  
          other states, and overseas, including the combat zones of Iraq  
          and Afghanistan.  

          The growing reliance on the CMD has resulted in more than 32,000  
          deployments out of the total force of 21,000 CMD/Guard personnel  
          since 2001.  This number also reflects multiple deployments.    

          Peace officers, as well as military personnel that have served  
          in combat zones have similar experiences with working in  
          continual hostile environments, violence, and death.  However,  
          peace officers and military personnel who continue on active  
          duty after their combat zone demobilizations have an extensive  








                                                                  AB 2661
                                                                  Page  2

          support structure to deal with stress, grief, and loss.  The  
          members of the California Military Department have no  
          corresponding full-time support systems for mental health  
          service.   This lack of an ongoing Service Member Care  
          capability leads to losses in membership, mental health  
          problems, and negative impacts on the families of service  
          members.

          The author states that a comprehensive and mandatory mental  
          health program would enable the California Military Department  
          to step up its support structure for deploying and returning  
          service members.  This would enhance morale, increase retention,  
          and sustain better mental health thereby increasing  
          productivity.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          American Legion, Department of California
          AMVETS, Department of California
          Vietnam Veterans of America, CA State Council

           Opposition 
          
          None on file.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Eric Worthen / V. A. / (916) 319-3550